Airport Chaos Shows Human Impact of 3rd-Party Attacks
Summary
A cyberattack on Collins Aerospace’s MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) ticketing and check-in software disrupted kiosks and baggage-tag systems at several European airports over the weekend, with effects continuing into Monday. Major hubs including Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin reported manual check-in processes, long queues and cancellations — Brussels said nearly 140 flights were cancelled.
ENISA told Reuters that ransomware was involved and attackers held the MUSE software for ransom, though official statements remain limited and the attacker has not been publicly identified. RTX (Collins Aerospace’s parent) and authorities have given sparse, and at times confusing, messaging while investigations continue.
Security experts warn this incident highlights the growing danger posed by third-party and supply-chain attacks against critical infrastructure and say better transparency, zero trust models and stricter third-party security controls are needed to reduce real‑world harm.
Key Points
- Collins Aerospace’s MUSE check-in software was hit in a cyber incident affecting multiple European airports.
- Passengers experienced long queues, manual check-ins and baggage handling delays; Brussels reported almost 140 cancelled flights.
- ENISA indicated ransomware was used to hold the MUSE system for ransom, though confirmations remain limited.
- The attacker and motive remain unclear; prior threat actors (e.g., Scattered Spider) were not immediately linked to this incident.
- Experts say the event underscores how third‑party software outages can produce tangible human and economic consequences.
- Recommendations include transparency from affected parties, zero trust practices, privileged access management, and raising security standards for vendors providing critical services.
Context and Relevance
This story sits at the intersection of cyber security, aviation operations and public resilience. As critical services increasingly rely on third‑party platforms, supply‑chain and vendor-targeted attacks can cause widespread, immediate disruption to physical services — from cancelled flights to families stranded at airports.
The incident reinforces industry trends: attackers favour high-impact targets that rely on shared technology; operational technology (OT) and service-provider ecosystems remain attractive and often under-protected attack surfaces; and regulatory and public scrutiny of vendor security is likely to rise. For resilience planning, this amplifies the need for visibility across all supplier systems and stronger contractual and technical controls.
Why should I read this?
Because this isn’t an abstract data breach — it’s people stuck in queues, flights cancelled and holiday plans ruined. If you care about keeping systems running, protecting customers or just avoiding travel chaos, the lessons here on third‑party risk and preparedness are worth a quick read. We’ve taken the slog out of it so you can get the picture fast.
Author style
Punchy: This piece isn’t just tech drama — it shows how a vendor outage scales into real‑world pain. Read the details if you want clear signals about where organisations need to tighten controls and demand better vendor transparency.